"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of Netflix and off various columns highlighting new movies as well.

This doesn’t look like the average ‘cult conspiracy’ thriller. It has an
amazing cast on board, and so for that reason alone we really want to see what
they do with it.

There’s a mini Harry Potter (2001-2011) reunion going
on between Emma Watson (The Bling Ring, Noah, The Tale of Despereaux)
and David Thewlis (War Horse, Macbeth, Kingdom of Heaven), who played
Remus Lupin in that film series.

Where Aaron Ashmore’s (My Brother's Keeper, Warehouse 13,
The Shrine) twin has been in well-known films before; his own work has been
predominantly concentrated on the small screen. We’re excited to see him branch
out more.

Fans of The 100 (2014-) rejoice -- you don’t have to
wait to see Devon Bostick (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Small Time, A
Dark Truth) in action. Given the nature of the film, we wonder what will
happen to him!

We were sold at the mention of Pierce Brosnan (Laws of Attraction,
Mamma Mia!, November Man). We’ve enjoyed watching his work since before he
became James Bond.

Then you throw in the likes of Malcolm McDowell (Halloween
II, Bolt, The Employer) – who has an impressive 16 current projects listed
in IMDb, Salma Hayek (Savages, Puss in Boots, Everly), and Jessica Alba
(Into the Blue, Awake, Honey)… and now you’ve really got our attention.

This looks like an endearing movie full of laughs and some
emotional moments, too.

Aside from all that, Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek
Into Darkness, I Am Michael) is in it! We would watch him in just about
anything.

For fans mourning the loss of Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014), there’s a familiar face in this one!
Emilio Rivera (High Crimes, Collateral, Act of Valor), who played Marcus
Alvarez on that series is in this film also.

How would you stop a super-human assassin bent on mayhem? If
the trailer is any indication, answer to that promises to be quite
entertaining.

Cat is a fan of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show (2012-).
This movie happens to be the major motion picture debut for director Max
Joseph, whom is an integral part that program.

He missed a few episodes of the current season because of
filming this movie, so there is definitely curiosity to see how it turned out!

We’re in luck, though, that those accomplished actors are
among the cast that will take us on this young DJ’s journey with his friends.

5 – Air (August 14)

Director: Christian CantamessaWriters: Christian Cantamessa, Chris PasettoActors: Norman Reedus,m Djimon Hounsou, Sandrine HoltGenre: Sci-Fi, ThrillerRated: PG-13We saw Norman Reedus (Blade II, Pandorum, The Walking Dead) was a
co-lead in this one and that was it. The film was instantly on our list.

We’ve been a fan of his since The Boondock Saints(1999).

Now throw into the mix the fact that we are card-carrying Sci-Fi
lovers and also enjoy the work of Djimon Hounsou (Never Back down, The
Tempest, Furious Seven) and you’ve got the recipe for what should be a good
movie experience!

The trailer seems to promise a tension-packed feature as the
timeclock ticks swiftly downward for humanity’s chances of survival –
especially if their only potential saviors are battling each other rather than
the loss of life support.

The concept of foosball ‘players’ coming to life to help in
a real soccer game is interesting and fresh. With the cast they’ve packed into
this movie, there should be some good laughs, too.

We think it’s also a nice change of pace for Nicholas Hoult
(Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dark Places) to play the antagonist
role.

As they say, people like to root for the underdogs. We’ll
definitely be hoping this film lives up to our expectations.

3 – Fantastic Four (August 7)

Director: Josh TrankWriters: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater, Josh TrankActors: Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Toby Kebbell, Jamie
BellGenre: Superhero Action Sci-FiRated: PG-13We’re a little torn on this remake. However, we are Marvel fans and The
Generalissimo, himself; Stan Lee has spoken out to say he thinks that the
casting for this new take on the story is pretty spiffy.

It’s a superhuman comic book hero movie, so it’ll definitely
be entertaining, regardless. We are also curious what they’ve changed and what
they’ve kept of the story.

We were excited to see Henry Cavill (Stardust, Blood
Creek, Immortals) in the role of the American agent. If the interaction
shown between Cavill and his co-lead, Armie Hammer (The Social Network,
Mirror Mirror, The Lone Ranger), in the trailer was a good indication of
the film’s tone; this promises to be both hilarious and witty.

There should also be plenty of excellent action sequences.
The car-chase teased in the trailer alone looked pretty amazing – especially
where the cars were so close together drifting in a circle.

It's even rumored that famed footballer, David Beckham, has
a role in this film. We'll be the first in line when this opens.

When construction forces people out of their home town, a
small group of kids bands together to try to have one last night of adventure.

Selina’s Point of View:

When last year’s “Top Ten to Look Out For In July” came out
on Trust-the-Dice, this movie was number four. The trailer gave it a Goonies (1985)/Wall-E (2008)/ET (1982)flavor. I didn’t see much of Wall-E in it, but it was definitely an
interesting take on an ET-like plot.

I have to note that I had a raging headache before I watched
Earth to Echo. That means that the
shaky cam was almost unbearable for me. It was a little like staring into the
sun with photosensitivity. Never-the-less, I powered through. I’m glad I did.

For the most part, the actors were fine. No one really made
me want to throw anything or fall asleep, but one young man stood out among them.

Teo Halm (Nova, Memoria,
Bukowski), who played Alex in the film, doesn’t have much under his belt
yet. Still, he showed a LOT of skill in this film. I believed every emotion,
every heartbreak, and every single action. It was as if he really understood
his character; better than most 16-year-old actors would.

It’s come to my attention that he was a part of the Girl Meets World (2014-) pilot as Cory
and Topenga’s son; before the show was cut, altered and aired. I’ve been
watching the nostalgic show, and I love it, but I’m not sure cutting Halm was
the best idea. James Franco (Child of
God, As I Lay Dying, The Broken Tower) gets it. He saw something in the kid
and scooped him up for at least two movies so far. I expect he’s going to have
an amazing career ahead of him.

In the end, the movie was really good. Even with the
headache that the shaky cam turned up the volume on.

Cat’s Point of View:

I have been wanting to watch this film for a while now. I
mean, who could resist finding out the story behind the adorable little
light-up alien from the trailers and all the promotional graphics, right?

I went in to this movie with an expectation to be quite
entertained by the story of these kids finding an alien and the adventure that
would ensue. What I didn’t expect, and what the film delivered in spades, was
that there was some real depth and heart behind this story.

These boys have been friends forever – and they’re not “the
cool kids” so all they have is each other. Circumstances are causing them to
split up by moving away, and it’s something no one can do anything about.

I think that this film brilliantly encapsulates the depth of
their friendship and the emotions surrounding their impending separation.

When I was little, we moved a few times. While I was in the
same city, it was easy to keep up with my friends. I moved out of state for a
year, but was able to come back to visit occasionally. When I returned to
Louisiana, however, we’d moved to a different city – and the loss of contact
with the friends I’d grown up with was devastating. These boys’ plight really
resonates with me.

This little alien, Echo, gives them hope and takes them on
an epic adventure. I love the anticipation of ‘what’s going to happen next?!’
that this film is steeped in. What mayhem is around the next corner?

My daughter and I loved watching this movie together, and I
would highly recommend giving this film a chance so you can find out.